Occupational Trauma and PTSD in Afghan Journalists: Resilience as a Mediator and Lifetime Trauma as a Moderator

Journalists operating in conflict zones are at a heightened risk for psychological distress due to exposure to potentially traumatic assignments (PTA). Although considerable research has explored occupational trauma among journalists, there remains a crucial gap regarding the interplay between resilience, cumulative lifetime trauma exposure, and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), particularly within non-Western, high-risk contexts. Grounded in Communication Theory of Resilience (CTR), a moderated-mediation model investigates the relationship between the mediating role of resilience and the moderating impact of cumulative lifetime exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTE) in the relationship between PTA and PTSD symptoms among Afghan journalists. Utilizing a cross-sectional survey methodology, data were collected from Afghan news journalists with 300 valid responses. The results indicate that PTA significantly predicted PTSD symptoms and was negatively associated with resilience. Resilience served as a mediator between PTA and PTSD symptoms, while lifetime exposure to PTE exhibited a nuanced moderating effect: Moderate PTE exposure bolstered resilience, while cumulative lifetime exposure diminished resilience, thus increasing vulnerability to more severe PTSD symptoms. The findings underscore limitations of purely individual-centric models and emphasis the importance of contextually and culturally tailored interventions for journalists in high-risk conflict settings.